153 lines
7.5 KiB
Plaintext
153 lines
7.5 KiB
Plaintext
SHORT TALK BULLETIN - Vol.IV June, 1926 No.6
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T.B.
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by: Unknown
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There are so many ramifications to our modern Masonic edifice that to
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be well informed in all would require most of our waking moments to
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be spent in study and research. Even to have a working knowledge of
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the contemporary history-in-the-making of this great institution
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requires more time than the average member of the craft can give to
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it.
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One phase of modern Masonic building, however, should be close to the
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heart of every man who wears the Square and Compasses. The relief of
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the needy and distressed; the care of the sick who are not able to
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continue as bread winners, is the pride of the Fraternity, and at the
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top of the list of those to be helped are written large in the names
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of our Brethren who suffer from the Great White Plague.
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The ravages of this dread disease are enormous, more so than most of
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us realize. It is to bring to the attention of the Craft the
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terrible inroads tuberculosis is making in our ranks and to show what
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organized steps can be taken for relief, that this Bulletin is
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presented.
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Tuberculosis is the chief cause of poverty, suffering and distress to
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the Masons of our country. Competent statisticians estimate it costs
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the Masonic Fraternity of the united States over $60,000,000
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annually.
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Of the 4,000 Masons who die each year from this preventable disease a
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large number die from a lack of the financial aid to make the
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necessary hospitalization possible.
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Some 30,000 members of our Fraternity are victims of tuberculosis,
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requiring proper hospitalization to restore them to health. The
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disease strikes down the supporting head of a family, often when he
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is most needed. Tuberculosis is preeminently THE disease that calls
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for united, concerted action by any body of men to restore the
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victims to health, a process which requires expensive curative
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methods.
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The "Sore Spot" of this tuberculosis problem is in our Southwestern
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dry-climate states, to which large numbers of tuberculars migrate
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each year in search of health. Sixteen per cent of these ask for
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assistance within a week after arrival; one-third within one month;
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one-half within one year. Many Masons become objects of public
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charity, - the middle west leads in supplying these migratory
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tuberculars. In one southwestern town a survey identified over 200
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Masons from 31 different Grand Lodge Jurisdictions, all victims of
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tuberculosis seeking health.
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Little wonder, therefore, that our brethren in the Southwest have
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seen the need for relief for Masonic tuberculars. Aroused by this
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need, they have for some five years past pleaded for aid in
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developing a plan for such relief.
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The problem of tuberculosis, its prevention, curative treatment, and
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the care and cure of its victims, effect every Masonic Grand
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Jurisdiction. Some of these are big enough, rich enough to meet
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local demands, but often those very Jurisdictions send more than
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their quota of Masonic tuberculars to the Southwest. But many
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Jurisdictions do not, and never can, maintain their own sanitoria.
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There is no Masonic Tubercular Sanitorium anywhere in our country,
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open to our Fraternity generally.
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Here is a verified record of a Freemasons, afflicted with
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tuberculosis, filed in the records of the National Masonic Tubercular
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Sanitoria Association as "Case No.21."
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"A member in good standing of one of our large and prosperous Masonic
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Grand Jurisdictions came to El Paso, Texas in search of relief from
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tuberculosis. His home Lodge paid his expenses out there; quite a
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common form of "charity." Shortly after arrival, physically unable
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to earn a living he became destitute and applied to the Associated
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Charities of that city for aid, which was given. He also received
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aid from an El Paso Masonic Lodge, his home Lodge and his own Grand
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Lodge. From this money contributed he helped to support his wife and
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children "Back Home." To economize he lived, cooked, ate and slept
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in a basement de-scribed by charity workers as "rat-hole."
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Naturally he lost ground and was finally sent home to die by the El
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Paso Lodge."
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This is not an extreme case. It is typical of scores that have been
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verified but investigations made.
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This brother of ours lost his fight for the right to live, not
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because he failed to receive aid from his home lodge, but because of
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the lack of an existing agency to take him in charge for a period
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long enough to effect a cure, relieving him of the worry of making a
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livelihood while seeking health, give him proper treatment, and
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removing the danger of his infecting others.
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Put yourself in his place. If you existed upon public charity would
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not your thoughts go back to the moment when you stood in the
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Northeast corner of your lodge and learned an important lesson in
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charity? Ask yourself, as a Mason, if Masonry does not owe it to
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these hundreds of afflicted brethren to extend the hand of fraternal
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aid, by applying to them those recognized methods of curative
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treatment that are so successful in Tuberculosis?
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Other Fraternal organizations are taking care of their tuberculars;
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why should not Masonry? One fraternal tubercular sanitorium
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representing a total investment and expenditure of some 3-1/4
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millions of dollars estimates that over $15,000,000 has been earned
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by the "graduates" of that institution, restored to health, and to
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normal earning capacity.
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Because of the urgent need for relief measures for our Masonic
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tuberculars, verified after years of careful investigation, the Grand
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Lodge of New Mexico has recently Chartered, The National Masonic
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Tubercular Sanitoria Association to serve as an agency or trustee, on
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behalf of all our Grand Jurisdictions, for the relief of those of our
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Fraternity suffering from tuberculosis, and the members of their
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families; to erect and operate sanitoria; to secure hospitalization
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of the sick and to aid in the prevention of tuberculosis.
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This Association is ready to serve the Masonic Fraternity of our
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country. In no sense a local organization, it appeals for active
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cooperation and participation by every Grand Lodge in the United
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States, with representation on its Board of Governors.
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The Masonic Service Association, after four years of investigation,
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definitely recognized, at its last Annual Meeting, the magnitude and
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importance of this problem and undertook to aid in working out a
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solution. It authorized a call on all Masonic Grand Jurisdictions
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for funds to work out plans and provide immediate relief where
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needed.
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First - Let Lodges and individual Masons who want to help make known
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the facts. Wake up Masons and Masonic organizations to the need for
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action. Remind them, if need be, of that Northeast Corner and its
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lesson, familiar to every true Mason. Help in the necessary
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publicity work to be done.
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Second - Get in touch with National Masonic Tubercular Sanitoria
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Association, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
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Third - Do all you can to have your own Grand Lodge participate in
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this work.
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Masonry stands - has always stood - for relief. The true Mason will
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respond more quickly to the appeal of a worthy, distressed brother
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than to any other cause. The need for tubercular relief has been
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definitely proved; it can only be met by united action. It is a task
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for us all, not for just a few. If we all work, the task is
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accomplished - which means, literally, thousands of lives saved every
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year - lives of men with whom we have sworn the Brotherhood of the
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Mystic Tie.
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